Reflections (at different times) on ecumenical or interfaith issues, theology, spirituality, ministry, the arts, politics, popular culture, or life in general ... occasionally, just some funny stuff.

Tuesday, 23 July 2013

“Do not let anyone condemn you...”: a sermon (Colossians 2:6–19)

It’s
a very hard time these days to be a member of a mainstream church, such as the
Uniting Church, or the Anglican Church, or the Catholic Church.If you don’t believe me, just read any
newspaper:

On
the one hand, whenever a church – any church - takes a broadly traditional stand on any
ethical issue in the community, they’ll say we’re just “out of touch”.

But
then, on the other hand, whenever a church – any church - takes a broadly progressive
stand on any ethical issue in the community, they’ll say we’re just being
“politically correct”.

And
then, again. if a church – any church - thoroughly researches yet another issue
and develops a thoughtful, balanced, carefully-nuanced, difficult-to-stereotype response to the issue,
the story gets buried on page thirty-eight.(That’s if it gets published at all.)

If,
however, a minister or priest misbehaves in some way (sexually, financially or
in any other way), it’s splashed all over the front page.(And in this, I think we should all recognise
that the Catholics are copping it far worse than other churches.When a Catholic priest gets
into trouble, it usually gets a lot more media attention than it does when
clergy of other churches misbehave.
When clergy of other denominations misbehave, they are not seen as being "typical" of their colleagues, as is often the assumption with Catholic priests. Catholic-bashing has always been a popular media game in the English-speaking world, but these days
it’s getting worse.)

The
good community work of many congregations and church agencies – of all
denominations - is rarely mentioned at all.

Occasionally,
the papers report disturbing statistics about the institutional decline of
mainstream denominations.These
statistics are often accompanied by gloating comments from adherents of the
more intensely “religious” sorts of churches.

Mainstream
churches like ourselves are frequently criticised, mocked, and even condemned
by many people.And we get it from two
different quarters.

Some are people who are uncomfortable with any sort of religious faith, who prefer to mock what they cannot understand.

Others are people with a very intense style of Christian faith, who despise us for being much less intense in our faith, and much less willing to condemn the beliefs and behaviours that they would condemn.

It
causes a crisis of confidence for many mainstream churches.

And
this crisis of confidence for the future of mainstream churches also signifies
a growing problem for our society in future years.If you look at the active, participating
members of mainstream churches; particularly Uniting, Anglican, and Catholic
(Lutheran in some parts of the country); these are the people who are
disproportionately active in community organisations in most communities around
Australia.

As
a result, if it’s hard times for the mainstream churches, it will be hard times
for many voluntary community organisations around Australia.Because the people who attend Uniting,
Anglican, and Catholic churches are the same people who are the backbone of
just about any community organisation you can name.And there isn’t really anyone else who really
is picking up the slack.

It’s not the people who consciously reject organised religion.A large percentage of these people are also uninvolved in other community organisations.

Neither is it the people who are involved in the more intensely “religious” sort of churches.A large percentage of these
are not involved in community groups outside their religious activities.

Neither
group is really there in great numbers in voluntary community organisations in
most locations, at least not as much as the members of mainstream congregations.

While
there are some great community-minded people among members of the other faith
communities in Australia (Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and so on), we can’t expect
these communities to pick up the slack at the moment.These groups are still far too small to have
an impact on their communities, except in a very few suburbs of capital cities.

For
better or worse, if we expect to live in healthy communities, we also need to
have healthy mainstream Christian churches, particularly Uniting, Anglican, and
Catholic.It is these churches that
provide most of our communities with their supply of community-minded
people.

And
so, the disturbing statistics that the papers report regarding the future of
mainstream churches have equally disturbing implications for the health of our
commnuities:

Fewer Catholics attending Mass may also mean fewer volunteers for Meals on Wheels.

Fewer Anglican communicants may have negative implications for local branches of the CWA, Rotary, or Lions.

Reduced membership in Uniting Church congregations may also mean reduced volunteers for hospital auxiliaries.

So
when churches like ourselves are mocked or even condemned in the public sphere,
it’s not just an affront to our dignity, it is a potential threat to the
quality of the life of our wider communities.

In
our lesson, Paul wrote words of encouragement to a local congregation in a city
called Colossae.Some people (probably a
few different groups) were troubling the Colossian Christians, saying things
like:“Are you sure you’re ‘religious
enough’? ... Are you sure that the faith you have embraced is ‘good
enough’?We’ve got all sorts of
difficult rules and regulations so you can be sure ... so you can be definite
... that you’re ‘religious enough’.”

In
this situation, Paul wrote words of encouragement to the Colossian church,
words of great energy and passion.

...
Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of
observing festivals, new moons and sabbaths. ...

...
Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement ...

It
was obvious that Paul was angry with those who were piling up requirement upon
requirement to the worshippers at Colossae.

There
are plenty of people who mock and even condemn congregations like ourselves:

Some are people who are uncomfortable with any sort of religious faith, who prefer to mock what they cannot understand.

Others are people with a very intense style of Christian faith, who despise us for being much less intense in our faith, and much less willing to condemn the beliefs and behaviours that they would condemn.(Perhaps, if they lived two thousand years ago, they would also have mistrusted Jesus for his unwillingness to condemn others.)

For
mainstream churches today, we need to hear Paul’s words of encouragement to the
Colossian church.They are also words of
encouragement to churches like ourselves, when we are simultaneously subjected
to mockery from the broader community and condemnation from the more intense
sort of churches.

Do
not let anyone condemn you ...

Do
not let anyone disqualify you ...

Paul’s
words are words of encouragement for churches like ourselves today.

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Constructive comments, from a diversity of viewpoints, are always welcome. I reserve the right to choose which comments will be printed. I'm happy to post opinions differing from mine. Courtesy, an ecumenical attitude, and a willingness to give your name always help. A sense of humour is a definite "plus", as well.

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About Me

I grew up in the United States and have lived in Australia since 1980. I'm a retired (recycled?) minister in the Uniting Church in Australia. At various times, I've been a parish minister, ecumenical staffer, and hospital chaplain. Some of my interests include theology, liturgy, ecumenism, interfaith relations, history, politics, the arts, humour, and Christmas in popular culture. (I did my doctorate on Advent and Christmas as a "season of opportunity" for churches to relate to their communities.)